She nodded, but with her gaze still upon the ground.
"Miss Naida," he said, "it would be cowardly for me to attempt to dodge
this issue between us. Is it because you do not like me?"
She looked up quickly, the moonlight revealing her flushed face.
"Oh, no, no! you must never think that. I told you I was a girl of
moods; under those vines I had one mood, in the hall another. Cannot
you understand?"
"Very little," he admitted, "for I am more inclined to believe you are
the possessor of a strong will than that you are swayed by moods.
Listen. If I thought that a mere senseless mood had caused your
peculiar treatment of me to-night, I should feel justified in yielding
to a mood also. But I will not lower you to that extent in my
estimation; I prefer to believe that you are the true-hearted, frankly
spoken girl of the vine shadow. It is this abiding conviction as to
your true nature which holds me loyal to a test. Miss Naida, is it now
your desire that I leave you?"
He stepped aside, relinquishing her arm, his hat in hand, but she did
not move from where he left her.
"It--it hurts me," she faltered, "for I truly desire you to think in
that way of me, and I--I don't know what is best to do. If I tell you
why I wished to come alone, you might misunderstand; and if I refuse,
then you will suspect wrong, and go away despising me."
"I sincerely wish you might repose sufficient confidence in me as a
gentleman to believe I never betray a trust, never pry into a lady's
secret."
"Oh, I do, Lieutenant Brant. It is not doubt of you at all; but I am
not sure, even within my own heart, that I am doing just what is right.
Besides, it will be so difficult to make you, almost a stranger,
comprehend the peculiar conditions which influence my action. Even now
you suspect that I am deceitful--a masked sham like those others we
discussed to-night; but I have never played a part before, never
skulked in the dark. To-night I simply had to do it."
Her voice was low and pleading, her eyes an appeal; and Brant could not
resist the impulse to comfort.
"Then attempt no explanation," he said, gently, "and believe me, I
shall continue to trust you. To-night, whatever your wish may be, I
will abide by it. Shall I go, or stay? In either case you have
nothing to fear."